Hackberry Emperor
Asterocampa celtis (Boisduval & Leconte, [1835])
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Apaturinae
Identification: Extremely variable geographically. Upperside is reddish brown. Forewing has 1 submarginal eyespot, a jagged row of white spots, and the cell has 1 solid black bar and 2 separate black spots.
Wing Span: 1 3/8 - 2 1/2 inches (3.5 - 6.3 cm).
Life History: Hackberry Butterflies fly in a fast and erratic manner, and rest upside down on tree trunks. Males perch on tall objects in sunny areas to watch for females. Eggs are laid in clusters, and the young caterpillars feed communally. Caterpillars overwinter in groups gathered inside dead rolled leaves.
Flight: Two broods from May-October.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various hackberries (Celtis species) and sugarberry (Celtis laevigata).
Adult Food: Sap, rotting fruit, dung, carrion. Will take moisture at wet spots along roads and streams.
Habitat: Along wooded streams, forest glades and river edges, wooded roadsides, towns.
Range: Resident in most of the eastern United States, central Plains states, and the southwest mountains; northern Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually of conservation concern.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 409 - 432 of 3766 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 27, 2017
Submitted by: jvincemery
Region: Loudoun County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 30, 2017
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 30, 2017
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 08, 2021
Observation date: Jun 12, 2018
Submitted by: ljbost
Region: Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 07, 2021
Observation date: Jun 09, 2018
Submitted by: James Fox
Region: Page County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 07, 2021
Observation date: Aug 25, 2018
Submitted by: Mike Sheehan
Region: Prince William County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 05, 2021
Observation date: May 29, 2019
Submitted by: Fetzkorn
Region: Giles County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 03, 2021
Observation date: Jul 02, 2019
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Roanoke County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 03, 2021
Observation date: May 27, 2019
Submitted by: ashores
Region: Augusta County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 03, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2019
Submitted by: mooreshells
Region: Virginia, Washington County, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 03, 2021
Observation date: Aug 23, 2019
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 02, 2021
Observation date: Sep 04, 2016
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 02, 2021
Observation date: Aug 17, 2016
Submitted by: Brian Taber
Region: James City County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 01, 2021
Observation date: Oct 11, 2017
Submitted by: Kandis
Region: Prince William County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 01, 2021
Observation date: Sep 20, 2019
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 01, 2021
Observation date: Aug 18, 2014
Submitted by: LadyAshleyR
Region: Accomack County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 01, 2021
Observation date: Jun 11, 2019
Submitted by: Montpelier Monarchs
Region: Orange County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 31, 2020
Observation date: Sep 08, 2019
Submitted by: jason.sosebee
Region: Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 31, 2020
Observation date: Aug 16, 2019
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 31, 2020
Observation date: Sep 16, 2019
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 31, 2020
Observation date: Jul 26, 2019
Submitted by: Cyrus Li
Region: Lynchburg, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 31, 2020
Observation date: Jul 10, 2020
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Roanoke County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 30, 2020
Observation date: Aug 06, 2020
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Botetourt County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 30, 2020
Observation date: Jul 22, 2015
Submitted by: Carolyn Seaton
Region: Gaston County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
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